Abstract

HBB [2-(α-hydroxybenzyl)-benzimidazole] selectively inhibits RNA synthesis of most enteroviruses. However, isolation of HBB-dependent variants is possible. Sequence analysis and characterization of recombinant viruses revealed that HBB dependence maps to the nonstructural protein 2C. A single point mutation at position C4782U is sufficient to establish the HBB-dependent phenotype in our echovirus 9 model